On
Saturday, 7 October, a group of some 20 Oddfellows from the North London
District embarked on a guided tour of Fitzrovia and Soho – an area well known
for its colour, restaurants - and more dubious activities.Text by Leo Zanelli Photos by Keith Potter.
On
Saturday, 7 October, a group of some 20 Oddfellows from the North London
District embarked on a guided tour of Fitzrovia and Soho – an area well known
for its colour, restaurants - and more dubious activities.
Starting off from the Duchess of Kent Lodge in Warren Street, they first visited the site of the former 19 Cleveland Street, which was the centre of one of the biggest scandals of the late 1800s, when the police uncovered a house of ill repute for men only. One of the regular clients was the Duke of Clarence – heir to the throne no less – plus a galaxy of lords of the realm. The nobles promptly left the country on holiday, arriving back when court proceedings were over. Justice was a little different on those days.
Across the road was another house which was occupied by ladies of the night, one of whom was Mary Kelly, who was to achieve unwanted fame as the last victim of Jack the Ripper.
Into Soho, just off Oxford Street, there stands the shell of the Heath Hat factory. Nowadays one cannot imagine a factory in this confined area, but in the 1800s it was not unusual to find such businesses – Soho even had a few breweries.
The Kings Arms in Poland Street sports a plaque which states that there, in 1781 ‘The Ancient Order of Druids was revived’. Why did they do this in swinging Soho instead of Wales? The modern Druids obviously enjoy the bright lights.
The John Snow pub in Broadwick Street is named after the doctor who discovered the cause of the cholera epidemic, when he worked out that it was being spread by the local water pump. This is why, at the junction with Poland Street, you will find a (non-working) water pump to commemorate this important event in the health of the country.
Berwick Market, and another plaque, to tell us that here was born one of England’s best-loved showbiz personalities: Jessie Matthews. Until a few years ago there were still stallholders who could remember her running around as a young lady.
The churchyard of St Anne’s Church contains a gravestone which tells us that Theodore, King of Corsica, was buried there in the 1700s. Unfortunately Theodore was broke and ended up in the debtors’ prison. He signed over his rights to the Kingdom of Corsica to the people he owed money to; but he died shortly after.
Dorothy L. Sayers was a
churchwarden at St Anne’s, and her ashes are interred under the tower. She
founded the Detection Club at 31 Gerrard Street. This was a club for crime
writers which included such luminaries as G.K. Chesterton and Agatha Christie.
She
would not recognise Gerrard Street now because it is the centre of Chinatown,
with Oriental trappings and many coloured balloons. It is lined with Chinese
shops and restaurants. Ma Meyrick ran an infamous club at number 43 which was
frequented by the nobility of the day. Despite the fact that the police kept
raiding the club – at one time Ma was imprisoned – three of her daughters
married into the peerage through meetings at the club.
On to Dean Street, where
Karl Marx had a couple of rooms, with his family, from 1851-56. This was the
cheapest and most dirty street in the area at the time – so unhealthy that
although he was there only five years, during that time three of his children
died.
From
here it was back to Fitzrovia, up Whitfield Street, past Pollock’s Toy Museum
and the American Church, which is on the site of George Whitefield’s Tabernacle.
Whitefield was a contemporary of Wesley, and some claim that he was an even
better orator – he regularly preached to congregations of 7,500.
Fitzroy Square is named after Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland (hence Cleveland Street). When Henry was nine, Charles made his son 1st Duke of Grafton and had him married off to the five-year-old daughter of Lord Arlington. Arlington was so pleased that he gave the couple a dowry of the Manor of Tottenham Court – now Tottenham Court Road!
There is a little-known hospital in Fitzroy Square; little-known because it is exclusively for the clergy. Do they get it on the National Health?
By this time the Lodge Room beckoned, and it was back to Duchess House for refreshments. The next walk will be purely Soho (there are still streets to cover), or a foray into darkest Islington.
